


The Merging Worlds

by KR Grim (KR_Grim)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Isekai, Multiple Protagonists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25680682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KR_Grim/pseuds/KR%20Grim
Summary: "The world is changing. Why, I cannot say. How, I cannot fathom. But it is, undeniably, changing." Three people, summoned from Earth to a rapidly-changing world, must try to negotiate a peace... and navigate the dangers of the world they find themselves in.





	The Merging Worlds

It was, perhaps, a testament to how tired staying up late to finish the game a fifth time had made her that Nora was barely shocked to hear a voice say “Nora, it’s time to get up.” Half-asleep, she mumbled a half-slurred “Five more minutes” before hugging her body pillow closer and drawing her knees in a little more. The body pillow was warmer than usual, and it felt a little off in its dimensions; she might have to call the manufacturer if it had deformed this easily. “‘m tired,” she added, nuzzling her face into the soft fabric. She must have been dreaming the arms wrapping around her; after all, she’d been dreaming about going on a cute dinner date with her newest waifu, Queen Theophania from Rime Brand: The Shattered Kingdom, possibly because she’d just finished a third playthrough of her route. Yeah, that had to be it, they were embracing, and soon they’d kiss…

She must have imagined the response that filtered halfway into her sleeping ears. “Well, I suppose, seeing as how the Kingdom’s finally at peace with our neighbors, it’s okay to let you sleep in a little.” She almost didn’t register the light kiss on her forehead, ignoring it and snuggling against her body pillow even harder. There were some rather stiff bits, too, almost like the knee area was actual knees — but that was absurd. Anyway, she had today off, and unless Mikayla called in needing a replacement, she wasn’t going to pick up any shifts. With those happy thoughts in her head, Nora tried to drift back to sleep.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. Someone was pounding on the door. Nora grumbled, unwrapping her arms from her body pillow and rubbing her eyes. This was really unwelcome. Whoever it was, they’d just interrupted her sleep far more definitively than that voice from nowhere. As she pushed herself up, she noted that her chest felt a little heavier than usual, and that she was wearing something; she hadn’t fallen asleep with her pads, had she? Her friend Tommy had told her about his horror story of forgetting to take off his binder before going to bed, so she’d always made sure to take off her bra and pads. Had she forgotten, or… She opened her eyes.

This… was not her bed. Her bed was a crummy little thing shoved into the corner of an apartment that barely qualified as “habitable”; the kitchen and bedroom were practically the same space, and she’d always have to spray to get rid of the odor of whatever she’d last cooked. This bed, on the other hand, had four posters and curtains hanging all over it. She rubbed her eyes and stared at it again, and as her hand fell away, she noticed it brushed against something that hadn’t been there when she went to sleep. She looked down; her figure was _very_ different from when she’d fallen asleep. And the prescription hadn’t come through yet, so…

Plus, she was wearing a nightgown. A very pretty purple number, one that worked very well with her pale skin. Normally, she slept _au naturale_ , but now… She looked around, trying to figure out where she was, when she noticed the most surprising thing.

She wasn’t in bed alone.

Next to her, sitting upright in bed and looking like she’d just been rudely interrupted, was a gorgeous woman with long, lilac-colored hair. She had high cheekbones, and Nora could see the rough, callused hands — hands more used to holding a sword than a teacup. The sky blue nightgown she wore had something embroidered on the back, a royal crest Nora knew all too well — she’d seen it in a dozen cutscenes, after all. Cutscenes she’d never skipped, because they all featured a gorgeous woman with lilac hair and beautiful golden eyes, the princess of a broken kingdom who’d stolen Nora’s heart from every other 2D girl she’d ever had a crush on, and quite a few 3D girls as well… Princess Theophania.

“Your Majesty! Lady Nora!” called someone from the other side of the door. “There’s an emergency! Lady Helena requires your assistance!” Nora blinked. Your Majesty? Helena? And that voice…

“I understand, Arthur,” said Theophania. “We’ll be there as soon as we’re dressed.” Nora heard the distinct clank of armor performing the two-armed salute she’d seen Sir Arthur do a dozen times in cutscenes. Theophania — glorious, radiant Theophania — turned to face her. “I’m sorry, Nora. I would have loved to have stayed in bed a little while longer. I know you’ve been up late with your research…”

_Research?_ Before Nora could ask what her research had been, a flood of memories overtook her. Research into how to deal with Theophania’s older brother, Roderick. He’d been a thorn in their side, even moreso once he’d been exiled and married into the royal family of Benthiria, but now the Benthiri wanted peace, and hostilities were on hold. She’d always assumed that the Benthiri Peace would be the first bit of DLC released for the game, since both Theophania and Christopher’s plots left Roderick as a loose end. Admittedly, Roderick’s route didn’t leave him as a loose end, but she’d only completed that route to unlock the ability to recruit his followers because fuck Roderick, and even in Roderick’s route the Benthiri were still a lingering threat. Other memories came too, memories of quiet moments, of battle, of how to use magic…

She shook her head. Now wasn’t the time — although she did make particular note of the spells she’d used to help keep period pain under control, since she had a feeling she’d need those ones a lot more now that she actually got periods. _Man, Tommy would’ve killed for these spells,_ she thought, finally pulling aside the curtain and getting out of bed.

Now that she was the Queen Consort, her new memories informed her, dressing herself was out of the question — although she agreed with her memory self that it seemed pointless to have servants do this kind of thing. She could dress herself, thank you very much! But court fashion was a nightmare and a half, and so she’d come to accept that she’d need some assistance. That is, until she saw Theophania start getting into her old wartime garb. This was probably a war council meeting, then… and so Nora raced over to where her memories said her old sorceress’s robes were.

After dressing, she took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. She’d picked the green hair because she thought it looked cool, but everything else about her appearance had been picked based on what her ideal self-image as a girl would be. Her “girlsona”, if you would. Her new height was a bit shorter than she’d been used to, but she could handle that. As she finished adjusting her gloves, she took another look over at Nia (it seemed this pet name was something her new memories shared, thankfully). Nia had been conscious about her height in cutscenes, but the six foot tall woman with enough muscle she could crush a marble block in her bare hand was charming. She’d always been attracted to physically strong women, and Nia had a cute face in addition to the kind of musculature that made Nora drool. She almost couldn’t believe this was happening, and pinched her cheek just to be sure. The fact that it hurt made her incredibly happy.

“You ready, Nia?” she asked. Nia smiled at her, holding out a hand that Nora quickly took.

“Absolutely. Now let’s see what Helena wants.”

***

Helena Ravensbrook, Chief Mage of the Kingdom. The title probably would’ve been Nora’s, but Nora was already Queen Consort, and that job had its own duties; she couldn’t be both. Her jet black hair and inquisitive black eyes matched the “Raven” part of her name, and her regal bearing made her seem taller than she actually was. She was currently standing next to the round table the Royal Council usually met at, which currently had a map of the continent on it. Next to her stood her new husband, former prince Christopher, now the Royal Treasurer. He had the same lilac hair as Nia, but his eyes were a piercing blue that Nora knew all too well.Saving him from Roderick had been a pain in the ass, but he was really one of the best financial minds in the world of the game, and he’d come with the added benefit of half-price supplies from shops, so saving him was really the most sensible thing to do.

Wait. She was Queen Consort now. Didn’t that mean that Christopher and Helena were now her in-laws? She shook her head to shove the question out and looked around at everyone else.

Sir Arthur Sinsear, Captain of the Royal Guard, was there, his steel armor shined to a blinding silver sheen. It was almost enough to distract from his long, unruly red hair and boisterous red eyes — almost. He was taller than Prince Christopher, and wider, too; the man was built like a wall. Next to him, a study in opposites, was his husband, the Royal Spymaster Lionel Sinsear. Lionel was small, slender, and always serious; the only hint of a smile came when he looked at his husband. His short brown hair and calm brown eyes added to the feeling that he was so plain he’d disappear from sight if you took your eyes off him.

Next to them stood the representatives of the Three Faiths, all of whom she had leveled to cap during her last run through the game. Diana Silberhand stood to the left, her hair the same white ringlets that had been in the game. Her red eyes and skin so pale it may as well have been a sheet of paper were also the same, and contrasted beautifully with the black robe she wore as the High Priestess of Nyx, the Night Goddess.

Next to her stood a dark-skinned man with a broad, flat nose and short, tightly-curled hair. Nora couldn’t help but smile when she saw him; Cyrus Ashbough had been harder to recruit away from Roderick than Christopher, but he was definitely worth it. His expression was a deep frown as his brown eyes gazed at the map spread out on the table, and she noticed that the red robes of the High Cleric of the Pyre Faith seemed to be hastily thrown on.

The last one, a woman with amber skin and patches of jade-green scales on her shoulders, under her eyes, and on her forearms (as well as almost certainly other places), was the black-haired Speaker for the Dragon Goddess, known as Ichika. She knew that according to the game lore, Ichika had been around during the previous succession crisis a thousand years earlier, and had been a grown woman back then (in fact, she remembered seeing her in the first Rime Brand game looking like a child — the scar she’d gotten in that game still remained, however faded), and when she looked up and saw Nora, her gaze seemed to pierce the woman through.

A voice echoed in her head. _So the Goddess was telling the truth. Hopefully the merger went well…_ Nora stopped mid-step. How… so the Dragon Goddess had actually brought her to this world? But…

Nia walked over to the table. Nora knew there were others, other units she’d rescued from Roderick’s side or brought over from other enemy ranks, but ultimately most of them had gone unused. The ones around the table were the ones she’d used the most on her last run through the game. Carefully, Nora followed her, looking at the map. “So, Arthur,” said Nia, “what’s the emergency?”

Arthur cleared his throat. “Ah… well, we got a message from one of our ships. Something’s happened in the Great Southern Ocean. A beach appeared, and monsters have begun rising up from the sea. I asked Lady Ravensbrook to look into it, and… well…”

Helena pointed to the map. “There’s a new landmass. My scrying magics have revealed something of its makeup, given how close it is to the capital, but not much. What’s strange is, it should have massively displaced the water of the Southern Ocean, but it all seems to have just… vanished. I’ve been able to make out a coast over here, and a city just a day’s journey away, assuming there are no strong currents. But that’s not all. Lady Ichika?”

Ichika bowed. “Your Majesty, my Goddess has revealed to me that there are, in fact, more land-masses that have appeared. An entire continent lies to our southwest, and the frozen isles of the North are no longer merely islands. Something far bigger than we could have anticipated has happened.”

“Lady Nyx agrees, according to the revelation she sent me,” said Diana, pointing at the southwest corner of the map. “She has mentioned that there are others who know her by a different name on the continent to the Southwest, but that we ought to be cautious nonetheless. She said something about a… new world… of some kind. Sir Cyrus?”

“The Fire Dragon didn’t say much to me, just that there was a threat coming from the north, beyond the frozen wastes, and we’d need to unify to deal with it,” he said, shaking his head. “At first I thought he meant unifying with the other nations, and making peace with Benthiria and Lord Roderick, but now I’m not sure that’s the whole story. There may be further nations here we need to deal with.”

Nora frowned, looking at the new coast. Her magic and Helena’s were fairly comparable in this regard, and she noted a few markings. As she was trying to figure out how close the coast actually was, her stomach growled loudly. Nora couldn’t help but turn a bright red as she looked over to her wife (that was going to take some getting used to, having Queen Theophania as a wife — but in a good way). Nia gave her a wry smile before clearing her throat. “Ellis?” The butler she’d started the game with materialized next to her. “I believe breakfast is in order, could you get the cooks to send something up to us?”

“Of course. Will they be making enough for the entire council?” Nia nodded in response, and Ellis was off so quickly he may as well have teleported. “Food should be here shortly, everyone; I can’t imagine you’ve had much to eat, if anything.”

***

It had been an offhand comment. “Man, I wish I could live in the world of the Last Legacy games.” The circle of light that had manifested under Austin’s feet had made him jump back, but it just followed his center of gravity. And then, as he landed, he felt himself start falling, as if the floor had suddenly disappeared from under him. The wind rushed past him, and he wasn’t sure what was going on. He was floating in a dark void, when suddenly a brilliant light flooded his vision. Looking around, he saw himself falling through a rain of gems or crystals or something similar.

His landing was sudden, but nowhere near as hard as he’d expected. He rubbed his tailbone to ease the pain of landing on his rear, and he looked around. “Where am I?” he asked quietly. The place was decked out in red and white, with him sitting on a red carpet. The ceiling was a massive dome, with frescoes painted on it displaying four colored crystals. Around the room were statues — an elf, a human, a dwarf, and one of the mainstays of the Last Legacy and Flames of War series, the cat-like koro. Each of the statues was exquisitely carved, but before he could examine them in further detail he noticed the figures in black robes, and the humans and elves in fancy dress clothes, and what looked like a few gruff, bearded dwarves in incredibly fancy helmets. Judging by their clothes, every last one of these people was wealthier than anyone Austin had ever met.

But then he looked straight ahead, up the stairs in front of him, and saw the thrones. Thrones on which sat two figures he recognized very well. The first was the main hero of Last Legacy XII, Prince Erik of Minaros. Next to him, on a throne of her own, was the main character of Flames of War VI, Princess Sophia of Gygel. Erik was frowning at him, his brown hair hidden by the golden crown he was wearing. Still, his blue eyes were clearly appraising Austin as one might appraise a skilled warrior. Princess Sophia’s golden locks, meanwhile, spilled over her tiara and framed her face. She, too, had a gaze of intense scrutiny, and her violet eyes were more focused than Erik’s.

Sophia was the first to speak. “Hero from another world,” she said, “you have been summoned to aid our world in its hour of need. Minaros, Gygel, and Taghaidh have joined forces to bring you here, that you might help the world from falling into oblivion and protect the balance of the Four Crystals.” Austin frowned. If Taghaidh was also aiding them, then one of the black-robed priests must have been the Mage-Prince Julius, the main character of Flames of War V. “Lord Julius, if you would…”

The black-robed mage closest to him lowered his hood, revealing an unruly mop of blue hair and a pair of red eyes that shone like flames. “Certainly, Lady Sophia.” He nodded curtly to Austin. “I am King Julius VII of Taghaidh, the Mage-King of the South. You have been summoned because, as of five days ago, the continents of Lycaria and Moris have disappeared, and the territory of Taghaidh now reaches into the antarctic. Thankfully the Fire Crystal once located in the Lycarian Desert and the Wind Crystal located in the Morisian nation of Calegast are still in existence, but they are in strange new locations where magic cannot observe them. Furthermore, there are reports from one of Lord Erik’s villages that someone has been sailing ships in their general vicinity, flying an unknown flag. The ships haven’t landed yet, but they have approached the city of Selveig on more than one occasion.”

Prince Erik — or, more likely, King Erik — nodded. “Fortunately, the Water Crystal remains in Taghaidh, and the Earth Crystal’s temple marking the boundary between Minaros and Gygel remains standing, and the crystal intact. But we need a hero to seek out the other crystals, report on their status, and if possible, negotiate with the places where they now reside. We will, of course, present you with a party to aid you.”

“Summoned Hero,” said Queen Sophia, “will you accept our quest?” Austin frowned, looking at the three rulers before him. Erik was looking somber, as if he’d just been told he had cancer. Julius’s face betrayed uncertainty. And Sophia was looking almost worried. Austin cleared his throat.

“I… uh… I just have one question. Will I be able to go back?” The three royals looked at each other.

“…I’m sorry,” said Julius, turning back to Austin. “The trip is one-way. The best I can do is send a message to your old world…” Austin shook his head.

“Nah, that wouldn’t help.” He sighed. “Well, if I’m going to be stuck here, I may as well help out with… whatever’s going on. Who do I get for companions, anyway?”

“We’ve each chosen a promising young recruit to join you,” said Julius. He clapped his hands, and three of the gathered figures stepped forward. One of them was wearing the black robes and hood that Julius had been wearing, one was wearing armor and carried a sword and shield, and the third was wearing a scholar’s cap and robes, complete with glasses.

The hooded one lowered their hood first, revealing a brilliant head of red, curly hair and piercing green eyes, along with pale skin. “I am Syrcia, a summoner and silver mage of Taghaidh. I have made pacts with the Minor Lords of the Crystals.” Austin nodded.

“So… Djinn, Rusalka, Auros, and Genbu, right?” Syrcia’s eyes widened, and they nodded. “Have you attempted pacts with any of the Outliers?” Syrcia shook their head.

“No… not yet, at least. I am, however, skilled in the Triad of Common Magics, having mastered the third rank of Thunder, Ice, and Wind.” Austin nodded in response, making a mental note to ask to borrow some pact-scrolls to see if she couldn’t forge some pacts while they were traveling. Not that having the first four summons you ever got in any Last Legacy game was bad, but he really wanted something that would be a little harder-hitting, even if trying to get Caesar or Tiamat would be beyond her level right now.

The one with the sword grinned, a gauntleted hand on her sword’s hilt. She had short black hair and violet eyes, and she too had pale skin… as well as elven ears. “I’m Temerin Greenblade. I just finished serving my term as a squire to one of His Majesty King Erik’s Cluckle Knights, and got approval to get a mount of my own. I’m also a skilled ranger, so don’t worry about the rations — I’ll have us covered no matter what the territory looks like.”

“So… are we all going to ride on a cluckle?” Temerin laughed, a surprisingly deep laugh (or maybe not that surprising, given how tall she was).

“Everyone will have a cluckle of their own, Hero. We’re not going to try and overwhelm some poor bird by trying to fit everyone on one. They may have been bred to carry riders, but they’re not _that_ strong.” Austin turned slightly pink, embarrassed. Of course it wouldn’t work like the games, where everyone condensed into one unit as soon as they left a cutscene.

The scholar stepped forward, hair completely hidden by her cap but blue eyes magnified by the glasses she wore. “I am Oria, of the Royal Laboratory of Gygel. Her Majesty requested one of us aid the summoned hero on their quest.” She sighed. “I was expecting a cute girl… At any rate, I’ve spent three years studying alchemy and bronze magic, as well as how to apply one to the other. I’ll be taking care of any undead we come across, as well as being in charge of curing wounds.”

“I bet those skills will work well together. So you’ve been at the Laboratory for three years?” Oria shook her head.

“No, I only just joined. The three years I mention were at the Royal Academy, so I know enough to help us out of a few jams, and I’ve got tomes so that I can study more while we’re on the road.” She readjusted her glasses slightly, and for a moment they reflected the natural sunlight like mirrors. “So, Hero… who are _you_?”

Austin cleared his throat. “I’m Austin Gannett… and I don’t know if I even have any special powers like you. I mean, maybe near-encyclopedic knowledge of games that have characters with the names of your rulers, and other games in those series… but I’ve never held a sword or shot a bow, and magic doesn’t exist where I’m from.” King Julius nodded, pulling a parchment scroll from his robe. Opening it, he said some words in a language Austin was pretty sure had never existed on Earth, and Austin felt a strange sensation of being watched, as if he couldn’t shake the gaze of a persistent observer. After the longest three minutes of Austin’s life, however, the sensation faded.

“A natural affinity for the element of Shadow and for Lead Magic.” Austin’s eyes widened. Lead magi weren’t known for being front-line fighters; they tended to use poison, distress, and other status condition magics rather than fighting their enemy head-on. They were all about hindering the enemy into a state of total uselessness. Combined with an aptitude for Shadow-element powers, he was uniquely unsuited for fighting the undead. “The affinity is so strong I believe even the weapons you use will gain a Shadow aspect. It’s on par with a Magic Knight who’s trained for thirty years.” Austin blinked.

“Uh… that’s about ten years longer than I’ve been _alive_ ,” he said. The rulers exchanged glances.

“All the more impressive, then,” said King Erik. “We will grant you a satchel and any scrolls or tomes you may need. Julius, will the translation spell work on magic texts?” Julius frowned.

“That all depends. Most should work, especially introductory texts, but the more advanced ones might be incompatible with the summoning ritual. This whole thing is new to me, and the World-Crystal’s instructions faded after I woke. I barely had time to copy down the ritual in its entirety before my memories became too unclear. If we had a crystal-speaker, I would be more confident, but… well, they disappeared with Calegast. I only pray that the Calegasti survived whatever calamity caused the world to change…”

Queen Sophia shook her head. “We can only hope. Without their knowledge, the world may well be headed for doom no matter whether the crystals survive or not…” She looked at the four. “Heroes of the realms! Seek answers, and bring us news of the new lands… and of the fate of the crystals.”

***

“Of course the satchels are magic, otherwise how would you fit all the scrolls and tomes you need in there?” asked Oria. Austin was still holding the satchel in one hand, impressed that so many tomes, scrolls, and potions fit in it without increasing the weight. It was all so well-organized, too — he just had to reach in and think about what he was grabbing, and into his hand it went. “Lady Greenblade, have you got a route mapped out yet?” Temerin was in the stable, getting the birds and filling an extra satchel with feed and water, so the others couldn’t see her.

“Eh, kind of? I mean, we’re mostly going along the roads, I figure. May as well make use of the travel stipend Their Majesties gave us. And what’s with the ‘Lady Greenblade’? I’m not a noble.”

“You’re not?” asked Syrcia, their eyes wide. “I thought all Cluckle Knights were nobles…” At that moment, Temerin came out of the stable, carrying both her personal satchel and the satchel of bird food.

“I mean, maybe in Taghaidh they are, but I’m from Minaros. Nobility isn’t as big a deal with us.” She led over four large birds. Each was the size of an ostrich, but their legs were much thicker and more powerful, and their bright golden feathers were sleek and shiny. They had big, round heads that reminded Austin of baby chicks, with very long necks and brightly shined red beaks. The one nearest to him let out a cry of “Kee! Kee! Kee!” before trotting over to him and rubbing the top of its head against his chest. Carefully, he reached out his hand and patted its head; the feathers were very soft and downy.The cluckle responded by cooing gently. “Well, I guess we know who’s riding Lissie,” said Temerin, grinning as he pet the bird’s head. “Good to see her getting along with someone.”

“She’s a good girl,” said Austin, stroking her head a couple more times. She knelt on the ground in front of him. “So… I think I’m going to need help getting on. I’ve never ridden a cluckle before.” Temerin laughed a little.

“Well, you’ve got her kneeling, which is good. Just put your left foot in the stirrup and swing over. Might take you a couple tries, but that’s why the pommel has a horn. You did remember to put the cup on when you were getting changed, right?” Austin blushed, but he nodded. “Good!”

“Why would he need a cup?” asked Oria. “It’s not like cluckles are _that_ bumpy, are they?”

“He’s never ridden before,” said Syrcia. “And if he’s as clumsy as some of the squires I’ve seen, he’s going to need it to keep… certain things from damage.”

“Certain… oh! Oh. Ohh…” Oria nodded sagely, casting a sideways glance at Austin, who turned bright red before placing his left foot in the stirrup and trying to swing his right over. The movement was new, though, and on his first attempt, he felt like he’d overextended and pulled something. And, on top of that, the dull thud of metal colliding with cloth and leather sounded from around his legs.

“Nnh… ahhh… oww….” Austin didn’t dare rub the site of the pain he felt, but it was fairly obvious where the pain was. Still, he wasn’t going to let that stop him, and the second time he managed to get his leg over his cluckle’s back and settle in the saddle.

“…yeah, the cup was a good call,” said Temerin.

“Definitely,” agreed Syrcia.

“Still sounds like he pulled something, though,” said Oria.

“Are you going to conduct an examination?” asked Syrcia.

“…it’s probably not that serious,” mumbled Oria. Both her face and Austin’s were redder than a pair of tomatoes.

As Austin gripped the horn, he tried to maintain his balance as Lissie stood up, watching as she bowed her head so Temerin could fit her with the reins. Austin paused, still holding the horn for dear life. He slowly looked over at Temerin, who was mounting her own cluckle. “Should… should I grab the reins?” Temerin frowned.

“Once you’ve got both feet in the stirrups, you should be good on balance. What’s your right foot doing?” Austin glanced over at the right side of his body.

“Uh… one sec…” Carefully, so as not to throw his balance off, he maneuvered his right foot, managing on the third try to hook it into the stirrup. He made sure to plant his feet as firmly as he could before carefully removing one hand from the horn and grabbing the reins. The other hand stayed firmly in place. He looked over at the others; Oria was holding the reins in both hands, and Temerin appeared to be using her knees to guide the bird, but Syrcia was holding theirs one-handed. Their other hand, however, was in front of their mouth, and judging by their face, they were trying to stifle a serious case of the giggles. “Come on, this is my first time riding anything living. It’s not like a bike.” The three shared a confused glance, but then Temerin directed her cluckle over to him.

“All right, I guess this will have to do for now. We’ll have to have someone ride next to you for your first couple days, in case you fall off. I’m really thankful we grabbed the saddles with pommel horns,” she said, patting his shoulder. “Oria?”

“Sure thing, Miss Temerin.” She maneuvered her mount next to him. “Mx. Syrcia, if you would take up the rearguard position…”

“Naturally,” the mage responded. Temerin nodded.

“Well then… off we go!” And with that, the four set off for the north, and the city of Selveig.

***

“I told you it’d work! I told you, I told you, I told you!” Liz’s head was pounding like she had a hangover. The events of the last night were a blur, and whoever was shouting wasn’t helping matters at all. She opened one eye, although at first all she could see was light. Then a stained glass window… Her other eye shot open, and she blinked to get rid of the fuzziness. That was _definitely_ stained glass. And it was _definitely_ a pattern she recognized. She’d seen it in the Star Voyage games. It was the main stained glass window of the Cathedral of Careers…

A different voice than the one maniacally shouting “I told you!” over and over cried, “Hey, Abbot!” She blinked again, turning to look. The man was dressed in armor, had a round face, and was grinning. He was probably about as tall as she was (and Liz was not a tall woman), and he had a goofy grin.

“What is it, Castellan?” A tall figure, thin, with a pencil mustache, priest’s robes, and a fancy hat, walked in. “…And who’s this?”

Mr. “I told you” stopped his manic shouting. “Abbot, Castellan, this is the hero who will save our world from destruction! I summoned her to this world!” She turned to look at him. He had a long white beard, and he appeared to be bent with age. His head was bald as an egg, and he was dressed in robes that looked like they might have been made for a wizard. He was holding a gnarled wooden staff in one hand, and Liz could tell at a glance that he was likely a wizard of some sort. “Oh hero! Will you save our world from destruction?”

“…But thou must,” muttered Liz, closing her eyes and trying to think back to the night before. She remembered having a stressful day at the office and wanting to unwind… so she went out for a drink… which became two… which became four… Oh! That’s right… she had gotten a text, from an unknown number. She’d been drunk enough to forget all common sense and look at it… “Oh, Hero! Wilt thou save our Kingdom?” it had asked. It reminded her of the first Star Voyage game, which she’d played with her brother. “O Hero, wilt thou save our kingdom?” The game had prompted either “yes” or “no”, but picking “no” inevitably led to “But thou must! O Hero, wilt thou save our kingdom?”

Admittedly, she’d only found that one out when she went back to play the game again on entering college, out of random curiosity about what happened when you selected “no”. Still, seeing that had made her think of Star Voyage, and she’d responded “yes”… and now she was here.

“Hero?” Mr. Wizard was still looking at her expectantly, and she realized he hadn’t heard her sarcastic reply. Given her situation, though, it was a _lot_ to place on a girl.

Well, while it was certainly a unique consequence, worse things had happened to drunk girls answering texts, so she was glad it was _just_ waking up in another world wearing what she’d gone drinking wearing. She sat up, realizing that she was apparently on a bed. “Could I get a glass of water first? Only I’ve got a wicked hangover…”

“A hangover?” Mr. Wizard grinned. “Best way to treat a hangover is to give it more booze, I’ve found that works loads better, and — “

“A glass of water and something to eat,” Liz repeated, more forcefully this time. The Abbot nodded.

“I’ll inform the kitchens. Castellan, can you get one of your guards to get our new hero here a glass of water?”

“Sure thing, Abbot!” The two went off to get her some breakfast, and she smiled slightly despite the hangover. They were a lot more competent than they’d been portrayed in the game — but then again, in-game they were a reference to an old comedy duo, so they’d been written to be joke characters, in the way that only NPCs were allowed to be.

Liz looked at the old man, who’d been left in the room. “Allow me to introduce myself. Nicholas Flamewell, Sage of Gowonbye, entrusted with the Hero-Summoning spell by the Goddess Herself. I asked you here to be the Hero who saves the world, since according to the Great Goddess we’re in big enough trouble to need to summon a hero.” She thought back, trying to think of what game Gowonbye had been in. It was definitely just a town that was there to pass through, but there _had_ been a quest involving it… Right. A local alchemist had bet and lost the shirt off his back at the biggest casino in the game, in the city of Evenodds. The quest had actually been required to progress, due to a chain of events that unlocked the Cathedral of Careers and the second half of the game. And the alchemist was…

“Wait. Weren’t you aided by the Visionary?” asked Liz. Nicholas’s eyes widened, and he blinked a few times before slowly nodding.

“Back in my youth,” he said. “The Visionary helped me get back all I’d lost to the casino in Evenodds. I’m surprised you know about it.”

_Well,_ thought Liz, _I did just replay the quest a couple days ago._ Not that he needed to know it. “Um… what’s the Visionary up to these days?” she asked. Nicholas stroked his beard, apparently mulling over the question.

“I believe he’s currently attending a conference of Kings,” he said. “Either that or he’s at the palace, preparing for his son’s coronation next year. I know Prince Edgar is looking forward to it… Hmm, which one is it…”

“Which one is what, Master Flamewell?” asked a round-faced young man in a guard’s uniform, carrying a glass of water. Mint green hair poked out from under his helmet, and his emerald eyes seemed full of questions. “Ah… madame Hero, here’s your glass of water.” Liz nodded, taking the glass and taking a couple sips.

“I was just trying to remember where His Majesty is, since our Hero here was curious.”

“What, His Majesty? Isn’t he at the Three Kings’ Conference with the King of Sevensea and the King of Highmount?” Nicholas nodded.

“That’s right, he’s at the conference. Wasn’t sure if it was that or preparing for Prince Edgar’s coronation.”

“Nah, the Queen’s handling that one herself. I imagine she doesn’t trust His Majesty not to forget some important detail. I hear one time he accidentally left the sword Caliber in a — “

“Fortress belonging to the Red Prince,” interrupted Liz. “That was annoying… although I think that was technically Dyers’ fault? How did that cutscene go again…?” She took another sip of water, frowning so hard her forehead wrinkled. “I’m fairly certain it was after Lady Miranda left the party… yeah, Lady Miranda had left, Dyers stormed in to say she’d been kidnapped, and the sword disappeared from the inventory… That was annoying, trying to do that whole quest without a weapon. Especially since it wouldn’t let you go back to Fort Truss until you’d gotten Lady Miranda back.”

“Esteemed Hero,” said the guard, “begging your pardon, but… how do you know that? The details of the incident aren’t widely-known, and only the Royal Family even knows about Sir Dyers’ role in that… uh…” The guard paused, glancing at Nicholas. “I-I mean…”

“Hmhmhm. Yes, only the Royal Family should know the full details of that incident. So why does a random guard know it?” Liz saw the cold sweat begin to bead along his eyebrows. “Unless you’re not a random guard, but are in fact one of the Royal Family…”

“Wh-why would a member of the Royal Family be here at the Cathedral of Careers?” Nicholas grinned. “A-and besides, what would a royal do dressing up as a guard? What kind of royal would…”

“Possibly Prince Edwin. He’s known for sneaking out of the castle in all manner of disguises to search for adventure.”

“P-prince Edwin wouldn’t be so careless as to head this far from the Palace! Not when his grandfather’s off at a conference about what to do regarding the new continents that appeared to the north and east!”

“This would be _exactly_ the time he’d sneak out,” retorted Nicholas. “Partly to see if he could and partly to learn all he could. And the Cathedral of Careers is the hottest spot for rumors this side of Wisperton. I imagine he’s fairly confident he could hide his identity, what with the new continents appearing.” Liz took another sip. Before the guard could respond, however, the door slammed open and a young woman in priest’s robes strode in, carrying a tray with a few slices of toast and three eggs on it. Like the young man, she had mint green hair and emerald eyes, and once she saw the guard, her already-angry-looking face grew even harsher. Liz swore she saw a vein throbbing in the girl’s forehead.

“Brother,” she said, looking squarely at the back of the guard’s head, “why are you here?” She walked over to Liz and handed her the tray. “Aren’t you supposed to be at home, studying? Does Grandmother know about your absence?”

“I-I have no idea who you’re talking about, Princess Erika. I’m just a humble guard.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Brother. And you’re making the Royal Family look bad in front of the Hero.”

“…” The guard said nothing, still adamantly facing away from the priestess, who was apparently a princess.

“I mean, really. What’s next, you’ll start blurting out royal secrets to her?”

“She already knows at least one!” snapped the guard. “She knows about Sir Dyers’ involvement during… you know. The thing.”

“Wait… you don’t mean…”

“Granddad’s big mistake.” The princess paled.

“You told her about — “

“Actually,” said Nicholas, interrupting her, “ _she_ told _us_ about it. Went into some detail, even if she used some odd turns of phrase. Almost like she observed it happening.” The princess turned to face Liz, her eyes wide. “There was even a bit about Her Majesty getting kidnapped?”

“…Master Flamewell. That information does not leave this room.” Princess Erika’s voice was at once mortified and threatening, a cold tone that implied a mile-long list of increasingly painful punishments if this particular royal embarrassment were ever known. “And as for you, Esteemed Hero… what other royal secrets do you know?”

“Uh…” Liz was sweating now, too. She wracked her brain. “I’m not sure what’s a secret, but I know what your grandfather did from the incident at Starhill to his defeat of the Runed King? Does… does that help?”

“From… from Starhill… to the Runed King?” Princess Erika dropped to her knees. “That… that much?” Prince Edwin was also stunned, his jaw hanging limply like he’d heard something unbelievable. “Hero… just who _are_ you?”

“I… I _was_ an accountant.” The two royals shared a glance. “And… also a gamer.” They shook their heads.

“In what possible world would a _casino_ have private information on the royal family?” asked Edwin, his voice cracking slightly.

“And why would an _accountant_ become a Hero?” asked Erika.

“…That might take a bit to explain.”

***

“So you come from a world where our kingdom, and the other two that share the continent, are a work of fiction?” asked Prince Edwin. Liz nodded.

“Yeah. And if my conjecture is right, there are at least four other games I’ve played that would show up in your history. Does Risengard ring a bell?”

“Risengard… the ancient kingdom Grandfather’s ancestors saved?” asked Princess Erika. Liz nodded again. Even relaxed, she noted, the Princess’s face seemed harsh.

“Three of the games took place in Risengard,” said Liz. “I loved the Risengard trilogy. It was so much fun playing through them over and over, uncovering different things every time…” She took another bite of the eggs on the plate before her; the yolks were that perfect balance between solid and runny and the whites were just firm enough. Whoever had cooked these was a genius. “Any more questions?”

“Just one,” said Princess Erika. “I know you said you were inebriated when you answered Master Flamewell’s call, but didn’t it seem suspicious to you?” Liz shrugged.

“I mean… a little, but at the time, I was almost blackout drunk. It’s a wonder I remember what happened at all. I’m fairly certain I drank enough tequila to knock out a frat pledge.” Liz finished the eggs and washed it down with her remaining water. “If I’m being honest, it’s kind of amazing that I only needed one glass of water and three eggs to deal with the hangover. I should’ve been moaning and groaning in bed until noon, with the amount I drank.”

“Maybe the Goddess lessened the burden when you passed between worlds?” asked Prince Edwin.

“If she did,” said Liz, “I’m not sure whether to thank her or ask her why she couldn’t have sobered me up _before_ I answered that text.” Liz sighed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. “So… what now? If I’m a hero, what am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t ask me,” said Prince Edwin. “I’m not the one who summoned you.”

“I don’t know either,” said Nicholas. “Maybe the Goddess could tell us.”

Princess Erika sighed. “Fine, I’ll try calling on The Goddess to answer our questions, but don’t blame me if we can’t get ahold of her. It’s not like I’m the Abbot, you know.” Lowering her head, Princess Erika began chanting words in a strange, mystical-sounding language. A golden aura surrounded her, growing brighter and brighter. When it was almost too bright to look at, a thunderclap sounded through the room, and an image of a beautiful woman, dark-skinned and black-haired, appeared in the room.

“Oh Hero,” said the woman, “I ask you to save this world, which you have shown such love for. A dark force threatens her survival, and I cannot interfere directly. You must fight this foul corruption in my stead. Oh Hero, will you save this world?” Liz looked at the woman.

“I… It’s true that I love the Star Voyage games. They’re some of my favorite games. And I want to save the world. But… what can an accountant like me do?”

“The Blessings of the Goddess are given to all who ask…” The Goddess smiled at her. “And you have your own strengths, Liz Meyer… strengths you are yet unaware of. So I ask again… Hero, will you save this world?”

“…but thou must,” whispered Liz under her breath. She stood firm and looked the Goddess in the eye. “Yes,” she said, her voice resolute and unembellished. The phantasmal Goddess seemed pleased.

“Then I shall grant my divine protection. And… perhaps you should consider a change of career. I am sure the Abbot would be all too willing to aid you.” As the Goddess faded away, a golden light shined around Liz, who felt a feeling of some kind of energy welling up inside her. Almost on instinct, she raised her right hand and pointed at the hat rack in the corner of the room.

“Zot!” At her word, a lightning bolt erupted from her fingertip, striking the hat rack and scorching both it and the wall behind it. Liz looked at her hand in wonder. “Magic…” She thought she heard a voice echo in her head, saying, _Please make good use of my gifts_. Liz looked at the two royals. “…I’m going to need help if I want to save this world. Will you help me?”

“Of course!” said Prince Edwin. Princess Erika sighed at him, but nodded as well. “Sir Nicholas, will you be helping too?”

“Peh-heh-heh… This seems more like a journey for young folks. You enjoy yourselves out there. Before you go, though, I’d suggest you tell Her Majesty what’s going on. I know the Goddess said something was threatening the world, but until we know what it is, we can’t come up with a strategy.”

“Most of the time my strategy was just ‘hit it until it stops moving,’” mumbled Liz. She looked at Prince Edwin and Princess Erika. “So… should we go then?” The two royals nodded; Princess Erika looked determined, but Prince Edwin looked like he’d just been told he was going to have to have his wisdom teeth removed, and they were all impacted. Liz stifled a laugh as the three of them left the room, setting out on their great adventure.


End file.
